Read Winter's Dream (The Hemlock Bay Series) for Free Online Page B

you, we’re not related, I think someone may be trick—”
    “Can we have a moment with her?” the dark-haired woman asked. The two women looked so similar I was having a hard time telling one from the other.
    I was surprised when Sophie and the headmaster just got up and left, shutting the door behind them. “I’m Hazel,” the lighter haired one said, “and this is my sister, Viola. We aren’t exactly your great-aunts but we are family and we’ve come to take custody of you.”
    “That’s not even possible, you’re being tricked. Those papers were blank. Blank!”
    They looked at me closely. “No, they weren’t.”
    “Oh lord,” I muttered under my breath, “how many humans can one jinn brainwash?”
    Their eyes snapped open wider at that. “What did she say?” one hissed to the other.
    “Well, look at her? How did we miss that? She’s been touched by one.”
    They got up from their chairs and I rose from mine and started backing away. “Look at her hair,” one of them said.
    “And her face,” the other agreed.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mumbled, my back slamming into a book case.
    They finally seemed to take notice of me, really see me as a person. “What have you gotten yourself into, dearie?” the light haired one asked.
    My response was interrupted by the opening of the door. Sophie looked at us curiously. “All set here?”
    The sisters nodded while I shook my head. I was ignored.
    “Well then, just this last matter and it looks like you’re free to go,” Sophie said with a fake little smile. She handed another sheaf of papers to the sisters.
    “Other matter?” Hazel asked.
    “Yes, about the other girl.”
    Hazel looked over the papers and her face lit up. “Oh, right.”
    I moved to look over her shoulder and once again saw blank papers in her hand. Freaking Jordan and his lies!
    My fuming was interrupted by the pleasant “aunt”. “Do you have anything to pack, dear?” Hazel asked. I shook my head, wondering who she really was and what was going to happen to me if I had to leave with her.
    “Bixby?”
    I snapped my head up at Minnie’s voice.
    I looked from her to the sisters. “What are you doing here?”
    “Who are you? Is everything okay?” She looked from me to the sisters. Everyone was glancing around, uncertain of what was going on. Except me. I knew what was going on. Jordan had interfered again, after promising he wouldn’t, and I had a new mess to clean up in addition to the last one.
    I chose my words carefully. “Well, I guess I have some family coming to claim me,” I said uncertainly.
    “Me too,” she said slowly.
    She and I looked from each other to the sisters to Sophie. Finally I asked, “You’re taking both of us?”
    Hazel looked at the blanks sheets in her hand again. “Why, we sure are!”
    Minnie squealed in delight then burst into tears. “I didn’t even know I had family, much less that you were part of it,” she cried, grabbing onto me.
    But those papers are blank, I wanted to say. I wisely kept my mouth shut and in my heart cursed Jordan again. I couldn’t guess what he had gotten me mixed up in and now Minnie stood to get hurt.
    “You two pack your things up while we finish signing papers,” Sophie snapped. Minnie grabbed my hand and ran back to the entrance into the “school” as if she were afraid they would change their minds in the time it took us to grab our toothbrushes.
    “I can’t believe this,” she squealed, hugging my hand to her chest.
    “Minnie,” I tried to warn.
    “Where do you think we’re going?” she asked, throwing her soap and toothpaste into a plastic shopping bag.
    “I have no idea, but I need to tell you something,” I said, trying to catch her attention as she whirled around the dormitory.
    “The aunts kind of look old fashioned, don’t you think? Well, I mean, obviously they’re old, but I like their dresses and long braids pinned up like that … I hope they don’t